The movement by teenagers all across the country against gun violence has been a sight to see for someone like the Rev. Josh Hoover. Seeing young people protest over an issue that's become passionate for them is a sight he and plenty others aren't used to seeing.

"When has a high school group been the catalyst?" said Hoover, the rector at St. James Episcopal Church. "The catalyst has been teens. And that's a first, I think."

That's why the church, 355 W. Maple in Birmingham, is hosting a lock-in Friday night for young people interested in making signs and preparing for the March For Our Lives event taking place Saturday in downtown Detroit.

The lock-in, which requires pre-registration and can be done at bit.ly/MarchLockIn, begins at 8 p.m. at the church. There, young people can make signs, learn about protesting and prepare for the event the next day before going to sleep. They'll then head downtown Saturday morning to the march in Detroit, where young people from across the region will protest gun violence, a hot topic since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last month that left 17 people dead.

It's just one of many marches happening across the country and region this weekend. In addition to the Detroit event, other marches will happen in places like Ann Arbor, Keego Harbor and Lansing on the steps of the Capitol, which was organized by a North Farmington High School freshman. The main march will take place in Washington, D.C.

"We have a bus from First Presbyterian (of Birmingham), we'll do caravaning down," said Chris Gannon, the church's associate for formation and outreach. "The walk is first, and then you come back to the RenCen and there's the speakers."

Gannon said as of early Thursday afternoon, they have roughly 20-30 kids planning on staying at the church overnight to prepare before heading downtown Saturday morning.

The event is being put on at the church in connection with First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan and the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.

Hoover said he plans on heading downtown with the young people Saturday as well. After meeting with other clergy at their meeting point, he said he's going to, in polite terms, tell them to keep their own opinions to themselves.

"One of the focuses is making sure it's their message," Hoover said."My message to them will be, 'This is about the youth, this is for the youth. We're here to be chaperones and to support them and to keep them safe. But they're the ones who are speaking.'"

Contact David Veselenak at dveselenak@hometownlife.com or 734-678-6728. Follow him on Twitter @davidveselenak.